Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an optical transmitting device having a number of semiconductor lasers situated next to one another.
An optical transmitting device of this type is described in Published, Non-Prosecuted British Patent Application GB 2 276 493 A. In the case of the known transmitting device, each semiconductor laser is constructed as an edge-emitting laser having a lens and a monitor diode associated with it. The monitor diode is used to produce an electrical variable that is proportional to the optical power output by the respectively associated laser. By an electronic circuit configuration which is not described in more detail in the publication, the electrical signal can be used to ensure that the respective semiconductor laser always outputs a constant light power in the event of temperature changes and as it ages. The configuration of the known optical transmitting device is comparatively complex inasmuch as each individual semiconductor laser has a monitor diode associated with it.